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Disneyland Forward is Back!
I’ll be the first to admit that I forgot about Disneyland Forward. The “project” was announced in 2021, and even though it was a vague concept that might never happen, I was still pretty excited for it. My mind raced at the thought of all the possible attractions that might be found in that ambiguous piece of concept art.
However, I just kind of forgot about it after a few months. There were a few small comments and bits of news about Disneyland Forward over the past couple years, but nothing that really grabbed me and made me say “oh yeah that’s right, ANOTHER reason I’ll never get a good night’s sleep in Paradise Pier Hotel.” Instead, it just faded from my memory.
That is, until the city of Anaheim released a 17,000 page environmental impact report on Disneyland Forward, detailing how the expansion will affect the surrounding area.
Still Moving Forward
There are a few positives and some glaring negatives touched upon in the report. It is stated that the expansion will have a significant impact on noise pollution, air quality and greenhouse gas emissions. In contrast, there will be little impact on transportation and neighborhood aesthetics. If Disney is helping the world burn, at least the surrounding area will still look classy!
In all seriousness, the idea that the theme park will increase greenhouse gas emissions isn’t anything new. The topic just wasn’t as widely discussed back in 1990, when the last plan akin to Disneyland Forward was approved. Including it in this report is at least an acknowledgment of the issue on the behalf of Disney and the city. Plus, the report dives into details about water conservation and sustainability, things that are already in place at the rest of the resort and will be carried over and improved in Disneyland Forward.
Noise Pollution
While the noise pollution might seem like the least concerning item on the list, the report states that Disney will still have erect temporary sound barriers during construction and 12-foot-tall permanent sound barriers around the expansion once it is completed. There will also be no fireworks in the expansion area. This might sound like a small loss, but I’m actually bummed about it. The concept art shows some kind of volcano-like structure, and I was hoping we’d see some type of pyrotechnics involved when it erupts. I suppose that doesn’t have to be fireworks though.
In regards to the surrounding community, Disney must abide by strict guidelines that state most rides can’t be built within 200 to 300 feet of homes. This isn’t anything surprising, but it should be interesting to see if this impacts the type of rides we see over in the expansion area.
The Return of the PeopleMover?
Perhaps the most intriguing part of the report is the acknowledgement of alternative transportation methods. Disney Parks have always been known for their iconic transport systems, such as the monorails that soar over both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. However, the transportation noted in the report references the PeopleMover, an extinct attraction that used to be in Tomorrowland at Disneyland (it still lives on at Disney World), and the Disney Skyliner, a gondola system at Walt Disney World. It will be interesting to see if Disney actually incorporates these into Disneyland Forward in some way, as both the PeopleMover and a gondola system existed at Disneyland many years ago. If they are added to the project, they most likely won’t resemble the former attractions at all. While some people really want the Tomorrowland PeopleMover to return, I think this new transportation will be related in name only.
Using Every Inch of Space
As announced back in 2021, Disney has reiterated that the purpose of Disneyland Forward is to focus on developing land they already own, rather than asking the city for more. This explains the “cookie-cutter” look of placing theme park expansions to the west of the resort and around two current hotels in the original concept art. There is also a parking lot east of Disneyland Resort that could be developed into a new hotel or shopping district. New additions to the resort will come in the form of rides, shops and attractions, if the proposal is approved. However, it seems that the initial third entrance to Disneyland Resort that was proposed in 2021 is no longer on the table.
Approval Timeline
There is currently no budget for the expansion, but Disney has announced that it will be entirely privately funded. There is also no strict timeline for the project as a whole, but Disney has released the following timeline highlighting notable steps in the process:
The initial announcement, named the Public Scoping Session, kicks off the timeline in 2021. As stated, there weren’t any important announcements from then until now, with the aforementioned Environmental Impact Report being released. After that we’ll see a long period of community outreach, where the city of Anaheim and it’s community will make suggestions and adjustments to the plan. Eventually we’ll receive a revised Environmental Impact Report, which will be very interesting to compare the current one to. Perhaps we’ll find out more information about a possible return of the PeopleMover, or the announcement of a Disneyland Skyliner. The project could also just be entirely canceled. Who knows.
We’ll be sure to give updates whenever more notable Disneyland Forward news is released. Stay tuned to hear whether or not the project truly comes to fruition, and in what form.
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